Jacqueline A. Berrien, the former Associate Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), was sworn in today as the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)  by Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. She becomes the fourteenth Chair of the EEOC, which will celebrate the 45th anniversary of its founding in July.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced that it has filed a disability discrimination lawsuit against global meat processor Tyson Foods, Inc.  The suit alleges that Tyson refused to rehire an employee at its Sedalia, Mo., location for a full-time position in the maintenance department because of his epilepsy.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit today against RJB Properties, Inc. and Blackstone Consulting, Inc., charging that the companies discriminated against Hispanic employees because of their national origin, sexually harassed a male employee, and retaliated against employees who objected to the discrimination against Latino employees.

Gonnella Baking Co., a Chicago-area baking company, will pay $350,000 to settle a national origin harassment and retaliation suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Oppor­tunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The company will also be subject to a four-year consent decree, under which it will be required to report any further complaints of discrimination or retaliation to the EEOC and to provide training about employment discrimination law to its managers and other employees.

Lowe's Home Centers committed religious discrimination by requiring an employee to work on his Sabbath, and by harassing and retaliating against the employee, causing him to lose hours, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed yesterday. The EEOC also pointed out that while Lowe's has an asserted policy for requesting religious accommodations, its workplace policy and practice was to refuse to accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs of its employees, in violation of federal law.

Howard Sheppard, Inc., a Sandersville, Ga., for-hire carrier company providing common, contract, and truckload services, violated federal law by firing a female employee for complaining about sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academic Center, a subsidiary of Greenforest Community Baptist Church, will pay $53,000 and furnish other relief to settle two pregnancy discrimination lawsuits brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.  The agency had charged that the Decatur, Ga., Christian school violated federal law when it fired one employee and rescinded a job offer to an applicant after it became aware they were pregnant.

A Monroe, N.C.-based residential masonry company violated federal law by subjecting a class of Hispanic employees to a hostile work environment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

Denton, Texas-based Alliance Rental Center, L.P., which operates several Aaron Rents franchises in North Texas, will pay a former employee $21,500 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

Kmart Corporation will pay $120,000 and furnish other relief to settle an age harassment, constructive discharge and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC had charged that Kmart discriminated against a 70-year-old pharmacist at a Honolulu store.